Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Certificate

• Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP)
• Family nurse practitioner (FNP)
• Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)

• Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AGACNP)
• Family nurse practitioner (FNP)
• Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP)

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
• PhD in Nursing

• A personal statement following the guidelines below.
• A resume or outline describing at least the past five years of your employment history and any significant community, professional, or college extracurricular activities.
• Applicants need 2 letters of recommendation. Letters should be from academic or professional references that can knowledgeably comment on your ability to successfully complete graduate study. Include recognitions and achievements (e.g. licenses, publications, and awards).
• All Official Transcripts: Transcripts from every accredited college or university attended (not just the degree granting institution) must be sent either to Pace University, directly from the academic institution electronically or by mail, or forwarded by the applicant in sealed envelopes from the academic institution.
• Must be a graduate of an accredited baccalaureate program in nursing
• Be licensed as a registered nurse in New York State
• Demonstrate scholastic aptitude as evidenced by previous academic work, motivation, leadership potential and maturity
• Have an undergraduate cumulative QPA of 3.0
• Evidence of successful completion (grade C or higher) of an undergraduate statistics course is required
• Submit an essay, professional resume, and recommendations as described in the application
• Have one year of clinical experience in psychiatric nursing
• Submit official transcripts from each academic institution previously attended
• A personal interview may be required
• No standardized admissions test (GRE or Miller Analogy) is required
• From the New York State Board of Nursing: For students not living in New York State, it is recommended that you contact your state board of nursing where you plan to conduct clinical practica prior to matriculation to confirm graduate student clinical practica is permitted by students from out of state graduate programs.

As part of your application to the Nurse Practitioner program at Pace University's College of Health Professions, we ask you to respond to the following two questions. Your responses provide an opportunity to share your unique experiences, motivations, and professional goals, and to help us understand how our program can support your next steps in advanced nursing practice.

Question 1 (300 words maximum): A defining clinical moment and the goal it shaped.

Describe one specific patient care experience (a single shift, encounter, or case) that revealed the limits of your current RN scope of practice and pointed you toward the advanced practice nurse specialty you are interested in (AGACNP, FNP, or PMHNP). Include enough clinical detail (setting, your role, what happened) that a reader familiar with that population would recognize it as real. Then connect that experience to a concrete goal: identify one patient population or clinical problem within your intended specialty that you want to address, and explain specifically how obtaining NP certification at Pace, including the advanced practice skills, scope, and clinical training you would gain in this specialty, would allow you to address it. Avoid general statements about "improving healthcare"; name the problem and the mechanism.

(PMHNP applicants: this experience should involve psychiatric or mental health care.)

Question 2 (250 words maximum): Managing program demands alongside your current commitments.

This program requires balancing coursework with unpaid clinical hours (often 2 days a week) on top of employment, and for many students, family or caregiving responsibilities. Describe your current work schedule and other major commitments and explain specifically how you plan to restructure your time, employment, or support system to meet the clinical hour and coursework demands of this program. Identify one concrete tradeoff you expect to make and how you intend to manage it.

Formatting Instructions for both statements:

• Font: 12-point, standard typeface (Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial)
• Spacing: 1.5 or double spaced, one-inch margins
• Heading: Include your full name and intended specialty track (AGACNP, FNP, or PMHNP) at the top of the document
• File format: Submit as a Word document (.docx) or PDF, with each response clearly labeled by question number
• Voice: Write in the first person; no citations or references are required

Per credit: $1,585 | Total cost of program: $44,380–$58,645
*Tuition based on current year and subject to change.

March 1

Make an appointment to meet with you admission counselor.

Pace has many internal scholarships and awards to help its students meet their college expenses. Some Pace assistance is meant specifically for College of Health Professions undergraduate and graduate students.

Learn more about CHP-specific scholarships and how to apply.

As an approved SARA institution, Pace University only needs home state authorization to offer distance education to students residing in any other SARA member state. Each state has its own licensing board with its own Advanced Practice Registered Nurse licensure requirements. Consequently, although the PMHNP master’s degree program in the Lienhard School of Nursing is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), making MS graduates eligible to sit for national certification (ANCC) and meeting requirements for APRN professional licensure in the state of New York, we cannot guarantee that the program, including Certificate of Graduate Studies (post master’s), meets all the requirements for professional licensure in another state (e.g., some states requirements specific to their state). If a current student is considering relocating to another state after being admitted into the program, the student must contact the program director to discuss how the move may affect their ability to participate in clinical experiences in a different state.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement

The US Department of Education regulation requires institutions to disclose to prospective and current students a list of all states for which institution’s curriculum meets out-of-state educational requirements for professional licensure or certification and a list of states for which the institution’s curriculum does not meet, or for which the institution has not made a determination of, whether the curriculum meets educational requirements. In compliance with the above stated regulation, Pace University has determined the PMHNP curriculum meets the professional licensure or certification requirement for New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Pace University has made no determination of other states eligibility at this time. As such, we only accept applications from students who are residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.